What are the types of dental crowns?
If you have a tooth that has fractured or has extensive decay, your dentist may advise a dental crown to save the tooth and protect it from further damage. Crowns are also used to anchor a dental bridge in place, with a crown on either side of a fake tooth, used to fill the space left by a missing tooth. There are a number of material options available to meet the needs of each patient.
What type of material is used to make a dental crown?
Different materials are used to fabricate different crowns. The type your dentist recommends will be largely based on the location of the affected tooth.
Gold and Base Metals
Metals can be used to make dental crowns and are incredibly durable and can take a lot of abuse from daily chewing and speaking. Metal crowns are best for back teeth because they cannot be shade matched to the rest of your teeth like other material options.
Metal crowns are great for posterior teeth that take the brunt of your bite force. They are extremely durable and even though they cannot be made to match the rest of your teeth in color, used on back teeth they are not visible.
Not everyone is able to have metal crowns so it is important to disclose any metal allergies to your dentist.
Porcelain and Ceramic
Porcelain is the most commonly used material for dental crowns because it can be tinted to match the rest of your teeth and is very natural looking. Porcelain is not as durable as metal but it still has great strength and can last up to 20 years. It is great for patients with metal allergies and for treating front teeth.
Porcelain Fused to Metal
This option gives patients the best of both porcelain and metal! As long as you do not have a metal allergy, your dentist can have a crown fabricated with metal that is covered with porcelain tinted to match your teeth. Porcelain fused to metal gives patients the strength of metal and the aesthetic benefits of porcelain.
Dental implants are also restored with a crown. These are most often porcelain and are used to replace a missing tooth.
When you have a crown placed, it may need to be adjusted at a later appointment after you have lived with it for a few days. If your bite is off because your crown is too long, your dentist can take a bit of structure off of the crown to correct your bite and make it comfortable.
Regardless of what type of crown you get, a night guard is a great investment to protect your restoration from bruxism. Bruxism is the unconscious clenching and grinding that we often do in our sleep and can fracture teeth and even dental restorations. Your dentist can fabricate a custom night guard to protect your teeth and maintain your investment.